Which desert is home to the iconic Saguaro cactus?

Which desert is home to the iconic Saguaro cactus? The answer is the Sonoran Desert.

The saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) grows naturally only in the Sonoran Desert, which spans parts of Arizona and California in the United States and Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur in Mexico. Its range is limited by frost and cold, helping explain why it is not native to nearby deserts such as the Mojave or Chihuahuan.

Saguaros are remarkably long-lived, often surviving more than 150 years. They store rainwater in their pleated stems, expanding visibly after storms, and use nighttime photosynthesis to reduce water loss. Their white flowers open after sunset and are pollinated especially by the lesser long-nosed bat.

A common mix-up is assuming every tall cactus in the American Southwest is a saguaro. The organ pipe cactus and several cholla species also live in the Sonoran Desert, but the branching, tree-like saguaro is its signature species. Its fruit and ribs have long been important to Tohono O'odham and Pima communities.